Giveaway Contributor: Kammok

Hammocks are for motorcycle camping like tents are for car camping. You know that feeling when you're riding your motorcycle, exposed to the elements, and you can smell that fresh earthy scent after a thunderstorm or the wood burning fires in the mountain town you're passing?

Hammock camping is like that. You're wrapped up in a warm cocoon, a gentle wind rocking you back and forth between two trees, underneath a sky full of stars. Don't knock it 'til you try it! With the right sleeping bag, sleeping in a hammock is as cozy as cozy gets.

Based in Austin, Texas, Kammok makes amazing gear for pretty much any hammock camping situation you can imagine. Camping in the rain? Try Kuhli, their versatile weather shelter. Sleeping next to still water and don't want to get devoured by mosquitos overnight? The Dragonfly insect net completely encases you and your hammock to protect you. They also just recently funded a new line of camp blankets on Kickstarter that you should check out.

We hear a lot of people say they're unsure if hammock camping is for them, so here are a few tips for a comfortable night's sleep in a kammok hammock:

1. Hanging the hammock

Use Python Straps instead of rope. They're made of webbing which is much gentler on any natural anchor points you decide to use, and they offer a lot of flexibility in how tight you hang the hammock. Once you have your two Python Straps wrapped around two sturdy mounting points (tree trunks, wood beams, boulders, cars parked 12-15 feet apart, etc.), err on the side of a slightly loose hammock as opposed to a tight, straight hammock.

2. Staying warm

Aside from the obvious warm base layers and a properly rated sleeping bag for the temperatures you're camping in, a sleeping pad or space blanket can be pretty handy in your hammock. If you fold out your sleeping pad in a hammock before getting in, it will keep that cold air from reaching your backside.

3. Angle in

Most people who are new to hammocks tend to lay straight and parallel to the hammock, which causes your body to bend like a banana. Did you know that if you angle your feet and head diagonal to the hammock's position, you actually lay flat? Kick your legs off to one side, then shuffle your head and upper body across to the other side and you'll be in the perfect sleeping position with slightly elevated head and feet. Try it next time.

Kammok has graciously contributed one of their Wallaby hammocks with Python Straps to our Backpack Giveaway. This hammock weighs in at 10oz and packs down small, making it perfect for stowing in your saddlebags. It's also water resistant and made out of diamond ripstop Gravitas fabric, making it super durable and able to hold up to 400lbs.

Head over to our Giveaway blog post to see how to enter to win this bundle of goods from Kammok along with one of our backpacks full of other gear to aid your next road trip.